Hey Scholars!!!
For this weeks topic we are discussing Science and Ecology and your online task for this week is post a summary of an on-going Scientific study on an ecological topic of your choice. Make sure to post the link of where you found your info. Have a great week!
Smiles
Prof. Dillman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Blue crab research that is being held in Pamlico, North Carolina being held by NC State University is to track the movement of crabs into the area. Their ecological studies are observing how low levels of oxygen effects the blue crabs' behavior, seeing as how it effects movement and feeding behavior. They are also analyzing fisheries to get statistics on the blue crab population in North Carolina. The goal of the research is to see how much the blue crab fishery needs to limit their fishing to make a sustainable industry and allowing the crabs to remain at a steady population for future generations. The groups are also observing the grow-out of the population, holding some in nurseries to enhance the population growth. North Carolina students are being given the chance to participate in the research and catch samples.
ReplyDeletehttp://www4.ncsu.edu/~dbeggles/bluecrabs/simu.html
"The Blue Crab in North Carolina." NC State: WWW4 Server. Web. 06 Sept. 2011. .
Alyssa Wade
4th Prd APES
There are scientific studies concerning commercial farming.Recreational fishing usually targets top- level predatory fish. The removal of these fish can definitely change the oceans food web.There isn't a limit to the number and size of the fish that can be caught so this problem could go on dramtically.This is concerning to scienist because they believe that it's an ecological disaster.In order to sustain the fish population, it would just be better to stop commercial fishing overall.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.faircatchhawaii.org/images/pdf/FishingPressure.pdf
www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/lake_victoria_sick.php
There are scientific studies concerning commercial farming.Recreational fishing usually targets top- level predatory fish. The removal of these fish can definitely change the oceans food web.There isn't a limit to the number and size of the fish that can be caught so this problem could go on dramtically.This is concerning to scienist because they believe that it's an ecological disaster.In order to sustain the fish population, it would just be better to stop commercial fishing overall.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.faircatchhawaii.org/images/pdf/FishingPressure.pdf
www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/lake_victoria_sick.php
-Bridgett Brown
APES 3rd Period
Two scholars from Colgate University of New York have done a study that have discovered a problem involving the North American forests. We humans are to blame for the introduction of a non-native earthworm. These exotic earthworms are depleting our forests. Supposedly they come from unproperly disposing fish bait. They are reducing the habitats of other organisms and increasing soil erosion. This dilemma goes back as far as when the European settlers came down who had dumped a mixture of soil and gravel. Fishing and gardening are other ways they are brought in. Places that sell fish bait are recommended to make this problem known and show how to prevent the expansion of these organisms.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901104930.htm
ReplyDeleteLarge sections of coral reefs and much of the marine life they support may be wiped out for good. Twenty-One sites and over 50,000 square meters of coral reefs in the islands of Seychelles were surveyed by a team led by the University of Newcastle. Their study showed that more than 90 percent of the coral reefs off of Seychelles were "bleached" which means that they are completely diminished from too much heat and sun exposure. It is thought that global warming caused this destruction by increasing the Indian Ocean's surface temperature in 1998. A survey showed that at least four fish species may be locally extinct.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060515232529.htm
Alyssa:
ReplyDeleteI really like your post. I like how it's close to home and how, if we wanted, we could help increase the crab population. I also find it interesting that the study is being used to find a way to help keep the crabbing limitations up to date for sustainability.
~ Gabby
Hog farming is a huge issue in North Carolina, the second most productive state that participates in it. In the past decade, the number of hog farms in North Carolina has gone down from 23,000 to 8,000. Good news? No, because those farms have gotten bigger and the number of hogs has actually TRIPLED in that decade. One of the reasons this is such a prominent issue causing all kinds of research and controversy is because all citizens living close to a hog farm have to suffer through the horrendous odor and unsanitary waste pollution. Many citizens near hog farms in the country use wells to retrieve their water, and groundwater is often contaminated by hog waste and is unfit to drink. Environmental and animal rights activists are trying to decrease the amount of hog farming in areas such as NC.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.umich.edu/~snre492/statter.html
Summer Drum
APES 4th
The University of North Carolina in Greenville have been doing a study on hog farming. Over the past decade the amount of hog farms have decreased from 23,000 to 8,000. On the contrary, the amount of hogs have nearly tripled. How could this be? Well, the focus have been taken off of the big farming stations and onto the small family style kind. The hogs are kept inside of tin "house" looking shacks. All those hogs, where does the waste go? The waste is put inside of a lagoon. Lagoon is a pit in which the waste is leveled off into the ground. This sounds like a good alternative to keep it out of the way. Well, there is a downside. Since North Carolina's soil is very succeptable, the waste is absorbed into the ground water and pollutes the groundwater. The water in which most of Halifax county drinks from wells. The reason for all of the hog commotion is because the tobacco intake from the crop had decreased dramatically so the hogs was the only other alternative in which they could go. In that time period (decade) over seven million hogs have taken over the land. In a way that they found out a way to solve this, is by having a right in which they could have a zoning area just for hog farming. This would reduce the amount of polluted water which affects the earth as well as the health of the people as well as the amount of hogs being able to be kept.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.umich.edu/~snre492/statter.html
http://www.herpcenter.com/snakes-general/20514-behavioral-research-studies-snakes.html
ReplyDeleteThis forum pretty much discusses the handling and conditioning of snakes. The person with the question was confused about the "intelligence" of a snake, wondering if it needed to socialize to survive. It is concluded that it doesn't, but snakes do obtain different behavioral patterns through conditioning. For instance, the person in the first reply pretty much said her snake pretty much attacks her but is calm when her assistant handles the snake. Then, we have another guy whose snake pretty much adores him, supporting the statement about conditioning. In short, different snakes obtain different social behaviors through conditioning.
Colby Tribble
APES 4th Period
I find Bridgett's comment interesting because it shows how our society impacts nature and that maybe we should stop having such a heavy influence on it.
ReplyDeleteColby Tribble
APES 4th Period
In the Florida Keys research is being held on the growth patterns and the impact on native species the Lionfish cause. This species of fish is invasive of the area. Right now the Lionfish are being hunted and scientists are taking tissue samples to better understand them and stop them from taking over the area.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reef.org/node/4469
-Langston Arnold
APES 4th period
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-scientists-major-ecological-borneo-deforested.html
ReplyDelete"The end goal we are aiming for is to understand how a tropical rainforest functions, and how that functioning changes when you place the forest under pressure from humans. We can get answers to these questions by controlling how exactly the forest is disturbed, under experimental conditions. Careful observation of how the ecosystem becomes disrupted when it is damaged will tell us a tremendous amount about how it functions when it is left alone."
-Troy Smith
APES 4th Period
Tigers are currently listed as an endangered species. Though able to survive massive animals and natural disasters with its amazing abilities, human kind has become the most dangerous predator. Tigers are killed to protect livestock, for sport, trophies, skins, and sources of traditional medical products. With tiger poaching being at its largest since the 20th century, laws and restrictions are being placed to protect this great wildcat. The alterations made in a tiger habitat is also allowing the animal to die out. Studies in science are trying to find a way to save the tiger population, but for now reinforcements will have to be a worthy opponent to the great beasts called humankind.
ReplyDelete~Rose Dennison
http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/tiger.htm
In, 2000 scientist began a study on the vertical patterns of virioplankton abundance in the open ocean in the Bermuda Atlantic. After 10 yars of research scientists found impressive occuring patterns of marine virioplankton dynamics. One of the major affects of these patterns is th change of microbial production. Microbes have a huge importance to the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients. Microbes grow at a faster rate than larger animals, they take up 95% of biomass in the ocean, and they help control climate on our planet. If the microbes are affected by the viruses then it changes the cycling of nutrients in our oceans. In every drop of seawater there are about 10 million viruses which are phages (attack marine bacteria). The virioplankton dynamic controls and changes the roles they play in the ocean as well as other life in the oceans.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811133130.htm
So the State Department of Transportation in Washington is installing wildlife bridges, passes, and fencing as crossing points for local wildlife that would normally be cut off by I-90. A key component of the I-90 project is extensive wildlife monitoring. Ultimately, wildlife monitoring data will help researchers evaluate whether the crossing structures provide an effective means for wildlife to cross I-90. The flying squirrel project in particular is evaluating the current barrier effects of I-90 on flying squirrels, including if and how often squirrels cross the highway, and to what extent the highway is a barrier to gene flow for this species. Future studies conducted after the construction of crossing structures will evaluate whether the structures have helped increase connectivity for flying squirrels.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.westerntransportationinstitute.org/research/4W2988.aspx
One of the largest ecological studies in the world, encompassing 8000 hectares (an area larger than Manhattan), the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project is led by researchers at Imperial College London and was officially launched this week by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteOver the next ten years, scientists from Malaysia and the UK will be studying how deforestation and forest fragmentation alter the ability of this tropical landscape to support a unique diversity of life. They will also be investigating the impact of agricultural development on the ecosystem's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas. This is the first time an experiment of this magnitude, nature and influence has been attempted, more than doubling the size of previous experiments conducted over the last 30 years.
The NBII Threatened and Endangered Species site provides access to data and information on threatened and endangered species managed by various federal and non-federal organizations. Currently, the site focuses on activities in which NBII is providing a supporting role, primarily through infrastructure, to the various organizations involved.
ReplyDeleteThe Endangered Species Act of 1973 is designed to protect and recovered threatened and endangered species, as well as the ecosystems upon which they depend. According to the ESA, species may be listed as either "endangered" or "threatened." Endangered is defined as a species that is in danger of extinction within all or a significant portion of its native range. Threatened is defined as a species that is likely to become endangered, potentially in the near term. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects and non-native species, can be listed as endangered or threatened. Section 4 of the ESA stipulates that species may be listed only on the basis of their biological status and threats to their existence.
http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=557&PageID=1591&mode=2&cached=true
Mike Warren Jr
3rd APES
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915144828.htm) <--- just for fun, but the NASA kepler spacecraft found a planet just like tatooine in which it has a double sunset. They can't confirm life on the planet, but it does orbit two stars.
ReplyDeleteHitchhiking Snails-
Smithsonian Scientists and Colleagues found out that a particular species of land snails that made their way from Europe to Central America. They did this just like humans, flying. They attach themselves to the undersides of birds (like the swallows in Monty Python that carried the coconut) and hitchhike across to some islands, then island hop to Central America. Their difference in local fauna allows them to create a more bio-diverse environment. They believe that these snails may not be the only species that does this and that other species might be using birds as their own personal plane. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914143643.htm)
Smiles
Jon
http://www.restrictbiminibayresort.org/
ReplyDeleteThe mangroves of Bimini island are the most important breeding area of several critically endangered species.Hundreds of people affiliated with dozens of groups are trying to prevent the wholesale devastation of Bimini island's irreplaceable mangrove ecosystem by Bimini Bay Resort.Bimini‘s famed fishing, portrayed in Hemingway's novel Islands in the Stream, could be a romantic relic of the past. The Bimini Bay Resort is destroying fish nurseries and habitat that will cost the local people their livelihoods.Bimini island possesses the only mangrove ecosystem on the entire Northwest Bahama Bank, and is responsible for replenishing fish populations not only in Bimini but over thousands of square miles of coral reefs and seabed. Today countless species of fish, rays, sponges, lobsters, and birds fill their unique niche in this ecosystem. But Bimini Bay Resort and Hilton are in the process of destroying all this pristine beauty and irreplaceable habitat by building a sprawling golf course, condos, a casino and a marina.
Gabriel Aquino
4th APES
I really like Colby's post, its very fascinating. Because I know I've always been curios about snakes and their behaviors.
ReplyDeleteGabriel Aquino
4th APES
Polar bears are currently listed as a threatened species. Every spring, scientists take a census of the polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea using the capture-recapture technique. The Polar Bear International institution helps fund the long term study of the polar bear population. The Southern Beaufort Sea population is actually one of the best studied in the world. The long term studies of the polar bears in that location are important because they document change and play a key role in government decisions. Data from this population helped scientists conclude that polar bears are threatened as a species. Another group, called 'How Fat is That Bear?' study size and health of a certain population, the number of bears in each sex class and age, and movement patterns of the bears and how they're reacting to the decline in sea ice. Scientist have also found population to be dropping from about 1200 bears in 1987 to about 950 bears in 2004. Everyday, groups of scientists work to solve the upsetting decline in polar bears finding more and more data to help better our knowledge of these bears.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.polarbearsinternational.org
ReplyDeleteCoral reefs are an important part of the sea life as well as life on land. These reefs supply food to people all over the world, but are rapidly dying out. Due to the acidity of the Carbon Dioxide that turns into carbonic acid, the reefs are being broken down and ultimately crumbling into nothing. Scientists say that by the end of the century there will be no more coral reefs in the sea. Since coral has a symbiotic relation with other items in the sea, what it benefits will quickly die out as well starting a chain reaction.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/coral-reefs-in-danger-of-being-destroyed-1908544.html
Nicole Brenneman
APES 4th
In Washington State they are starting the biggest removal of dams that has ever been done. The Elwha and Glines Canyon dams are both keeping salmon running through the Elwha river and it's causing a hurt on the plants and animals that need the nutrients from these fish. People were first afraid to take down these dams because of the fact that they thought they'd lose electricity but no harm will come to any homes or buildings. Actually they'll benefit more from it. They began this project September 15.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/08/110831-dam-removal-elwha-freshwater-science-salmon/
@Colby I find that very interesting because I always thought snakes got they're behavioral patterns from instinct not conditioning.
ReplyDeleteMy article is about the threat to the Galápagos Wildlife. The West Nile Virus is a disease that is a harm mostly the birds, but mammals and humans too. Scientists from London, New York, and the Galápagos National Park Service, have been studying the disease threat posed by the Island's mosquito population. They have discovered that the mosquito's have been the cause of transmitting the disease. Recent studies show that the mosquito's are getting on boats and planes and getting to the islands that way. The virus recently invaded South America, but has yet to reach the Galápagos. Scientist believe that if it does get to the islands, it could wipe out the entire wild life there.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110916102406.htm
Mary Gorry.
APES Period 4
Michigan State University is currently undergoing studies for a laser that they developed to detect roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. This laser has the same output of a presentation pointer, yet is sensitive enough to detect improvised explosives.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110917082729.htm
Luis Lopez
A professor at the University of Maryland and researcher at the Appalachian Laboratory, John L. Hoogland has been studying the ecology and social behavior of prairie dogs for many years. His most recent study was at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. In this study, he uses long term research on tagged individuals to collect his data on survivorship and reproductive success. Through this data, he has gotten a stronger understanding of important issues in behavioral ecology and population biology, such as infanticide, competition and inbreeding.
ReplyDeleteIn this study, Hoogland found that infanticide is accountable for the partial or total deaths of 39% of prairie dog litters. He also found out about how kinship is an important factor for prairie dogs while breeding. For example, the black tailed prairie dog has four different mechanisms to prevent inbreeding with direct family, but not distant family like cousins. I found this very interesting.
http://www.umces.edu/al/project/ecology-and-social-behavior-prairie-dogs
ReplyDeleteMy artical is about an Asian Tiger Mosquito that has came to the United States from Asia and around that area, They have been researching and trying to figure out exactly how this mosquito has come into the U.S and why it is so deadly.The Asian Tiger Mosquito is an efficient vector of dengue fever, and laboratory work has shown that it is also an efficient vector of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/insect/overview.php
alicia garcia
ReplyDeletein the wilderness we are not aware of the harmful diseases that we could get from there. Although us human beings and animals share a wide variety of infecious diseases, the animals lean towards getting these diseases due to their habitats in the wildernesss. there are many scientists from university of wisconsin, nelson institute for environmental studies, and the u.s. geological survey's national wildlife center working on projects to terminate or atleast reduce the amout of infectious diseases that are triggered by the wilderness.
http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=224&PageID=2018&mode=2&cached=true
@myranda!
ReplyDeletei like your summary, it helped me be inform of something im not used to paying attention to. i think its interesting but also wonder why they came to this conclusion
since 1947, scientists have studied on the fate and effects of oil spills on the natural communities of the plants and animals. If we keep getting oil spills it can hurt and cantaminate the animals whish is our source of food. They havent found a way to stop the spills yet, but this was something i was concerned with.
ReplyDeleteSarah Huber
The Project Global studies that duke are responsible for is about how 4,600 sea turtles are killed each year by fisheries. That number is a lot, but its still a reduction which is good. These sea turtles are being accidentally caught by trying to catch other fish. The danger to these turtles is that the catch limits are set for each fishery, which does not account for the overall population. By doing that it exceeds to takes that the sea turtle population can’t sustain. The turtles need to be managed in a better way to help their population numbers because every sea turtle in the United States is endangered. If these turtles go extinct then the food web system will be unbalanced and from there it will fall apart.
ReplyDeleteRhiannon
APES 3rd